The boy who leapt through time
by Fabulously Distressed
Summary: A mysterious clock. A book holding the secrets to time travel. A small nation goes on a journey through time and learns Nordic history by seeing it with his own two eyes. The joy, the friendship. But also the sadness and the wars. Will he ever see his family the same way again? And more importantly... Will he ever find his own time again?
1. Chapter 1 - The book on the shelf

It has always been a little boring whenever I stayed with Lukas. Sure, he's quiet and he frequently gives me snacks, but he never seems to do something interesting. I cannot imagine how bored Emil must have been all these years of living with him. But then again, Emil is a lot calmer than me. He probably found something interesting to do on his own.

Oh well, I can perfectly entertain myself as well I suppose. I often go outside to play football or climb some trees. Lukas has a large one in his backyard, it has great wide branches you can sit on and you can gaze all over Oslo. It's quite nice up there, there's always a lot of bugs on the trees I can examine. Butterflies, but ants and ladybugs as well. And if they're not up in the tree, I can always find them in the flowerbeds or the grass.

But not today. The rain has been falling from the clouds in great amounts ever since I got here, and by the look of it all it's not going to stop anytime soon. So I sit by the window watching it, my feet tapping impatiently for something to happen. Lukas has been reading all day today. For hours and hours and hours, I'm surprised it hasn't gotten him bored already. Whenever it rains when I'm with uncle Mathias, we always go out to explore or dance in the puddles. Or he'll find something else to do together. To be honest, I like it a little better with him to be honest. I mean, like I said, Lukas is nice and all but my goodness he's a little too calm and boring for my taste.

"Are you okay Peter? You've been so quiet today." His voice kind of startles me and I turn around.

"Oh, I'm okay. Just a little bored..."

"Mmm... Maybe you should go look for a book to read. I've got loads in the room in the back."

The room in the back is his study, he told me once not to go in there. Maybe he's changed his mind, or he just tells me to go look for a book so he doesn't have to entertain me himself. Either way, I'm kind of honoured that he trusts me enough at this point to go have a look. But then I remember that he probably only has books in his own language.

"Do you have anything in English? Because my Norwegian doesn't exist so to speak."

"Of course, go find something you find interesting." His gentle smile seems genuine and I get up.

The room has a big heavy door but I'm able to push it open. I've never been in this part of Lukas's house before, and a jolt of excitement lights up my mood: exploration time! The room is covered wall to wall with bookshelves, and I'm amazed by the amount of books he owns. He really does like reading, doesn't he? Did he really read all of these books? He probably did, I think to myself. He's kind of old, it's not like he didn't have time for it.

I start at the bottom of the shelf in the middle of the room and I try to find something both English and fun to read. But after digging through almost half the shelves on this bookcase, I've found only Norwegian books. Norwegian is a strange language, it kind of looks like Swedish but my Swedish is still too poor to make anything rational out of it. And to read an entire book whilst only understanding random words of it... That's kind of stupid.

But I found other interesting stuff while looking though. I found some quils and little jars, some of them still have ink in them but I don't dare to write with it. I've found some bookmarks, some very pretty made from leather with runes carved into them with care, and others which are ordinary and made from paper or little scrambled newspaper clippings. There's pictures, mostly from landscapes, and some of them seem very old.

The next bookcase has some English books in them, but they're all on mathematics and science. And it doesn't seem very interesting. I sigh and stand up. I don't think there's anything nice in here, maybe I can ask him if he knows anything fun to read for me. But as I turn around to walk away back to the door, my eyes fall on a book on a stand in one of the shelves next to the door. I didn't see it when I came in, but the title looks English from a distance.

I walk towards the book and there's a significant amount of dust on it. But I was right, the title is English. Old English, but still English:

"The quaint art of time travel... What does 'quaint' even mean?"

I find myself mumbling and I blow the dust off a little. Time travel, huh? Sounds rather fascinating. And I know what Lukas is, so this could very well mean business. Lukas is a Warlock, he explained it to me in a lot of difficult terms, but it technically means he's a boy witch. He taught himself magic and I've seen a couple of tricks. He's quite cool when he performs magic, I wish he would do it more often.

I flip the first page and I'm a little startled by what falls out: a golden necklace with a ticking clock in the middle. It has all kinds of buttons and nobs to press and turn, and below the center of the timepiece, there's a display that shows the day, month and year.

"The 21st of October, 2018... Today's date..." I read out loud and I conclude. But I lay the clock away for now, Lukas explained to me to NEVER use something if you don't know what it does. ESPECIALLY if I find it in his home. He's a bit messy, uncle Mathias warned me about it and the first time I stayed over Lukas told me not to touch anything. And with him being a Warlock, I understand that some things can do serious harm.

"This book better be a manual then..." And so I start to read.


	2. Chapter 2 - The first leap

" _Manipulation of time in present... Manipulation of time in future... Manipulation of time in the past_... and all of them multiple pages... This is a big book..."

I don't know how long I've been reading this so called 'manual' for time travel but I get the feeling it has been a while. The device that fell out is indeed the piece to travel with, but there's a lot of rules when it comes to setting time, actually traveling and what to do and what not to do upon arrival. And it has started to become a little boring by now. I wanna test it out! Not read about it. Maybe I should ask Lukas whether he has used it before. But it's then that I read a passage which proves to me that he probably didn't:

" _Whenever a certain person visits another time, it is of utmost importance that said person does NOT meet any past or future selves..._ Because?"

The passage continues on the other page, and my heart skips a beat.

" _Because if a past self sees a future self or vice versa, time itself will come to a stop..._ What the bloody hell does that even mean?"

I find myself asking the question but I have a feeling that I already know what it roughly means: we'll probably all die. I shiver at the thought of it and I conclude that Lukas probably didn't take the risk. He's so old, there's not much time to go to where his past self isn't roaming around. And then, I get a jolt of excitement: I'm not that old yet! My nation was founded in 1967, that's roughly 50 years ago. As long as I stay clear of any time after that, I should be okay!

I'm getting adventurous now, I might actually be able to travel time! How cool is that! Where should I go to? And then I remembered the stories Papa Berwald used to tell me about the Viking age. How he uses to travel through Europe with cool weapons and stuff. Stories about heroic battles between him and the British on the other side of the sea. When they had the world at their feet.

"That's where I'm going! Okay so how do I do this...?"

 _Step one: REMEMBER THE TIME YOU LEFT_

Should be easy enough, it's the 21st of October 2018, I'll remember that.

 _Step two: REMEMBER THE TIMES YOU'VE ALREADY BEEN TO_

Oh! That's probably for the whole time itself will stop thingie if you see yourself. Got it, just remember the years. Maybe I should bring a paper or something to write it down. Yeah I might need that. I quickly grab a wrinkled bookmark and I write down the present date.

"There, what's next?"

 _Step 3: SPECIFY THE EXACT TIME YOU WANT TO TRAVEL TO_

Eeehhh... I don't know when the Viking age was? Not exactly. Wait, wasn't there a book on it? I stand up again and I search the shelves once again. Aha! There it is! I take the book out and I flip through the pages.

"Mmm... Mmm... Oh! There! _Seg fra ca. 790 e.kr til ca. 1066 e.kr._ so 790 AD till 1066 AD or something..."

What year to pick? I don't know, something in the middle maybe. How about 900, easy to remember and easy to write. Got it. What's next? Oh a month and a day. I have no clue, the 21st of October again?

 _Step 4: ONCE EVERYTHING'S IN PLACE, PRESS THE BUTTON ON TOP_

And now, I'm nervous. Should I do it? I can always go back. I have the date written here. And the time is about halfway through the afternoon. As long as I remember that, what could go wrong?

I take a deep breath. And another one. This is probably fake anyway. I mean, you can't actually travel time, can you? And even if this somehow does work, I have everything I need. What could go wrong? And so I press the button on top.

I'm not really sure what's happening, it all goes by so quickly that I start to feel sick. The next thing I can clearly make out is the fact that I'm laying in the damp grass below me, the trees towering over me. What the hell happened? Where's the rain? Am I outside how did I get outside?

I slowly sit up and I scan my surroundings. There's just trees and grassland. Mountains in the distance, no sign of civilization. The necklace is still around my neck, the piece of paper is still in my hand. And my messy handwriting reads 21st of October 2018. The pen I wrote it with still in my pocket. I stand up now and I cram the paper away. And my nerves return. Did it work? Did I actually travel? No, I just-

Suddenly, the giggling of a child. In an instinct I dash behind a tree and I await the sound which draws nearer now. A small bunny hops past me now, followed by a small boy, no older than 4 years I conclude, in what seems to be brown clothing. The clothing is neat, it seems handmade and it has a Medieval style to it. The boy has silver blond hair, a small Puffin flying after him. And... And bright blue eyes. Blue eyes like I've only seen them once before...

"...Emil?"


	3. Chapter 3 - The Viking age

I decide to quietly and secretly follow Emil around. He looks no older than 3-4 years old, he wobbles around chasing the last remaining butterflies he finds. He's actually quite adorable, and I notice that he speaks a little Norwegian. I recognize some words, it's not much though.

And I realise I'm getting colder and colder. I should have brought my coat, I now realise. I might not have thought this through correctly. It's then that the trees make way for a valley, and a small settlement is visible a little below the treeline. It only contains a handful of houses, and there don't seem to be a lot of people around. I see Emil running down though, and I have to make a decision. I need something warm, something that will keep me protected from the cold harsh wind which is now kicking up a little. I see a line of rocks going down to the village and I sneak behind them until I find myself on the rugged pavement of the streets. And I see some clothes hanging to dry on a line.

" _I'm going to steal clothes... This is insane..."_ I whisper to myself as I yank them quietly off the line.

They fit me well enough, they're a little too big but for now it'll have to do. I also find something that'll work as a bag, and I stuff my original clothes in it. I hide the time traveler under my thick layered clothing and I sneak away. Now, where did Emil go?

"Storebror!!"

That's Emil! Where did he-

I take the corner now and I have to double check my memory for what I'm seeing right now. It's Lukas, I can see that much, but he's no older than 15. Freckles are spread over his face and his hair is significantly longer than it usually is, three neat little braids tie it together on the back in a ponytail. He's wearing neatly crafted clothing, a navy blue cloak barely hovers above the ground and I see he has a bow around his shoulder and arrows on his back.

And his smile, I've never seen him smile so bright. So vibrant. Emil jumps in his arms now and Lukas lifts him up with ease. It looks like Emil found some flowers and Lukas gladly takes them. They're talking, but not too loud. And besides, I can't quite follow along either way. It's then that they call for someone inside and a teenage boy with a red cloak steps out.

" _Mathias_..."

It's barely audible as I mutter his name. He's around 17, maybe even younger. His hair wild as ever but his face freckled like Lukas' , a wide grin on his lips as Emil is put back on the floor and now dashes to him. And another person steps out of the little cabin. He's significantly taller and slimmer then the rest of them and it takes me a second to recognise him. It's Papa, Berwald, but without his glasses and his hair wild and longer than usual, a black cloak around his shoulders. He looks young though, about the same age as Lukas, maybe even a bit younger.

I'm so lost in the sight I'm seeing that I don't notice the pebbles I'm standing on slowly move from under my feet. A rather large one rolls down the small hill I'm standing on and it immediately draws their attention. And I can't hide away, my heart starts to beat in my throat as I see Lukas grab his bow. But Mathias stops him and starts to walk up to me. And I can't move. Now that he's up close, I can finally see how young he actually is and it confuses my mind in a way I can't properly respond as he asks me something. It's Danish, but I don't understand him. He switched to poor Norwegian now but again I don't know what he's trying to say. He sighs for a moment and he then reaches out his hand. I step back but he steps forward, a bright smile trying to convince me he's not dangerous. I take his hand, and together we walk back to the village as the sun sets slowly in the distance.

...What am I doing?


	4. Chapter 4 - A mystical night

The sun has set now, and the fire they've made gives more warmth than I first suspected. I've been sitting close to Mathias, he's the only one who doesn't mistrust me at the moment. Although Lukas is getting softer the more he realises that Emil is overly interested in me. It must be lonely for him, being so young with no one your own age around. He must be thrilled to find another child looking person in the village. Berwald hasn't said much yet, and it makes me chuckle a little inside to find out he's always been a little quiet and shy. Mathias throws another piece of firewood on the fireplace and some small sparks fly up into the air.

It's then that they start to talk again, and I realise that I can follow along just a little bit. They talk about me, it's fairly obvious, and since they've already concluded I don't understand a word they say, they don't hold back.

Lukas concludes I can't talk at all, and must be stupid or something.

Mathias suggests I'm just not from here, and that I'm lost.

Berwald doesn't say anything, he just shrugs as they ask his opinion.

Emil thinks I'm nice.

Their conversation is interupted by a low growling in the background: thunder and lighting. I grab the blankets a little firmer, I hate thunder and lightning. And without thinking, I conclude that Emil must too. But something odd happens. They're all dead quiet, and they listen. They listen for the approaching thunder, the flames of the fire reflecting in their eyes. It's getting closer I hear, and Emil starts to chant happily:

"Thor! Thor! Han kommer! Han kommer!"

A wicked grin appears on Mathias' face and he stands up. Emil follows him outside and Lukas and Berwald follow blindly. I quickly stand up and walk after them, I'm the last one outside and I see them walking to the top hill of the village. I quickly follow them up and I unconsciously place myself next to Berwald. The sky is dark, a shimmer of lighting and the mighty rumble echos through the valley. Mathias looks at me and he tells me something I can understand:

"Thor kommer…"

Thor, the God of Thunder. With his hammer Mjölnir, which makes him only stronger. And the first thing finally comes to me: that's why none of them is ever afraid of thunder and lighting. Even Emil is totally calm with it, excited even. I muster my courage and I repeat his name out loud:

"Thor…"

Emil is still jumping up and down and Mathias lifts him on his shoulders. He reaches his small hands to the sky in a presumable attempt to reach it. The wind has kicked up quite a lot and for the first time in a while, I feel totally invinsible. And the whole sequence of events start to hit me. I took a time travel necklace to travel back to the viking age. I met my entire family in a small viking village and now, we're standing outside. Gazing at the sky as it lights up in a huge thunderstorm, chanting about Gods. It brings a smile to my face. Except that…

"Mom…"

It's unhearable for them, but I said it. Tino? Where's Tino? Did… Did they even meet him already? I take a look at Berwald, who has placed himself down on a rock laying there, his long legs crossed and his eyes closed. Lukas has settled next to him and he lays his head on Berwald's shoulder, eyes closed as well. I sit down too, and I reach for the necklace around my neck. I check the pockets of the trousers I'm wearing and I feel both the pen and the little paper I took from my own clothes. I decide to leave them there and I start to think. At what possible moment could they've met Tino? After the viking age, that's for sure.

I'm lost in my thoughts for a moment when I feel something poke me. I flinch and I look to my left. Lukas has poked me gently with the tip of his bow, his smile seems genuine and it catches me off guard a little. He's never smiled at me like that. I smile back though, and he then points up to the sky. I look up with him and a gigantic cloud has formed over our heads, the flashing blue and white light of the thunder clearly visible through the layers. I feel myself shrink a little in fear, but Lukas talks to me in simple words and gestures:

"Ingen frykt… Thor er bra…"

Thor is good. I understood that much. I sigh a little and I manage to weakly smile at him. Mathias puts Emil on the ground now and he runs back to the cabin we just sat in. He comes back quickly with something that looks like a flute and a horn. He hands the flute to Berwald, who takes it gladly and he keeps the horn for himself. Emil sits down next to Lukas and he insists I sit next to him, so I comply. Berwald and Mathias look at eachother and then nod towards Lukas. And with the thunder still roaming in the background, he starts to sing.

It's a rather high pitch, and it echos hauntingly yet beautifully through the vast valley. Berwald soon kicks in with the flute and together they produce a mystical tune that mixes together with the rumble of the thunder in the clouds. Mathias provides a deep undertone with the horn and Emil's eyes light up as the sky gets even lighter than before. Like the clouds are responding to the music. I can't understand a single thing Lukas sings, but I don't really care. I've never been so amazed by something this much as I am now. Emil lays his head against my arm and as I look down at him, he's smiling broadly just listening. So I close my eyes as well and I listen.

Their songs end now and the thunder is slowly passing along with the strong winds. I have no idea how long we've been outside, yet I don't feel cold at all. Berwald lays the flute down and Mathias laughs as he sees my face.

"Var det smukt?"

I don't understand him, but he has enough information by looking at my smile I believe. They stand up now, the thunder far behind us, only rumbling a little in the distance. Emil is lifted by Lukas, and I now see that he has fallen asleep. He looks incredibly adorable, sucking on his thumb as Lukas holds him and drapes his deep blue cloak around him. Berwald walks after them, and as soon as I feel Mathias taking my hand again I can finally move too. I take one last look at the valley behind me and I then make it down the hill as well.

The cabin fire is fired up again and Lukas lays Emil down on a make shift bed made of straw. He wraps him up tight in his cloak and lays down next to him, his arms wrapped around him in a protective matter. Berwald has laid down on the other side of the straw pile, he stretches his arms and legs a final time and then covers himself with his cloak as well. Mathias makes some room in the middle of the strawpile and lays his cloak down in a matter that two people could easily fit on it. He then gestures me to lay down next to him, and I now realise that I'm actually bone tired. The straw is surprisingly soft to lay on and Mathias' cloak is soft and very thick. He wraps us up in his cloak and it reminds me somewhat of all the sleepovers we've had together. Except for the fact he's now looks only 4 years older than me instead of way older, and that we're in a cabin in the viking age. But I feel safe nonetheless, and as I close my eyes, I start to fear it's all just a dream. A dream I hope not to be brutally awakened from…


	5. Chapter 5 - Looking for Mom

I hear the birds chirp outside and as soon as I open my eyes, I see the sunlight falling through the gaps in the wooden cabin's walls. I didn't dream it, I actually did it! I look next to me and I see how Mathias is still fast asleep. He seems even younger up close, and an odd feeling overwhelms me. At what point did they get older? How do nations even age?

I sit myself upright and I see then that Papa is missing. Mm, where did he go? I carefully stand up, cautious not to wake Mathias and I make my way outside. The sky is a bright blue, yet it's somewhat chilly as the wind kicks up again. I peak back into the cabin and I now realise Lukas is gone too, Emil still peacefully sleeping on his cloak. Maybe Papa and Lukas set off together?

I make my way back to the forest, and I soon spot a small deer near the waterpond I passed yesterday while following Emil to the village. I quickly hide behind a rock to make sure I don't scare it away. It's then that I hear rustling on the other side of the pond, and the deer's head shoots up in alert. For a moment, it's dead quiet. Until…

WOOSH

An arrow shoots through the air at high speed and it lands a perfect hit in the deer's eye, killing it instantly. I swallow for a moment as the deer drops dead to the forest floor, that was quite an intense moment. But I hear footsteps now, and as soon as I see the small figure recognisable as Lukas step out of the bushes, I sigh deep. He pulls his arrow from the deer's head, wipes it clean on the grass and then carefully places it back among the others again.

"Jeg vet at du er der…"

Shoot! He must have heard me or something, maybe he's angry. I slowly emerge from behind the rock and I step forward. He's cut the poor animal open now, and it's a disgusting mess of intestines and other meaty parts on the forest floor. And I can't help but look away. Lukas looks up and clearly notices my disgust, but he laughs at it and smiles at me.

"Det er ikke pent, jeg vet…"

He finishes up now and he swiftly swings the deer over his shoulders. And he hands me his bow, I take it out of kindness but I feel quite intimidating holding it. Especially after I've seen how lethal it can be. It's lighter than I thought and he smiles sweetly. He nudges me to go back to the village, and as soon as we arrive back I see Papa back too. He has a spear full of fish, and Mathias is awake too, starting a fire to cook on. Emil has found some sticks, and he's drawing in the sand with them. Mathias looks up and he's clearly happy to see us back.

"Den var god, Nor!"

Lukas throws the deer off his back and I hand his bow back at him. It's a genuine "tak" that follows, and Mathias has started to cut up the deer in small managable pieces. I sit down next to Emil, who hands me one of his sticks with a smile. I gladly take it, but I'm unsure of what to draw. So as I draw random shapes in the sand, my mind sets off again to the one person missing here: Mom, Tino.

What will be the next logical time to travel to? A time in which I'm sure they've found him already? I can only think of one date:

The 17th of June, 1397, the start of the Kalmar Union. But as soon as I think about it, a shiver goes down my spine. The Kalmar Union started out well, but ended horribly. But that all happened all the way in 1523. So 1397 shouldn't be that bad. I think I should try it, if I don't like it I can always go back to… To? I feel in my pockets to desperately search for the little piece of paper and the pen. They're both still there, and I sneakily peak on the paper: the 21st of October, 2018. Good, seriously you can't forget that date Peter! What if you lose the paper!? I sigh deep and I tuck the paper away.

I look up and I see Mathias sharing the meat they've gotten from the deer and he absentmindedly hands me a piece as well. I have never in my life eaten a deer, let alone a deer that was alive and well a moment earlier. I take a bit anyway and it's surprisingly good, they certainly know how to prepare food. We soon finish breakfast and now, I have to think of a way to explain that I have to go. I'm scared to speak English, partly because they probably won't understand it and of course because of the fact that the British Isles must be considered enemies. They might recognise the language and attack me for it. But what language can I use then? My Norwegian is garbage, same goes for Danish and when it comes down to Swedish, my skill level is about 1. I think hard and I might actually found enough words to make them understand that I must leave. So I gently nudge Papa, and he looks somewhat surprised as I talk to him in very basic Swedish:

"Jag maste ga…"

He thinks for a moment, but then nods. Mathias and Lukas overheard us but didn't quite get what I said and Papa repeats it for them. It's the first time I hear his voice this clear, and it's so much higher than I know it. It's funny really, he must be young enough for puberty to not have kicked in properly yet. I stand up and Emil runs in for a hug. He seems sad I have to leave, but he somewhat understands now that I wasn't meant to stay. Lukas and Mathias pack my some food for the journey, and I gladly take it. Their kindness overwhelmes me a little, Mathias tries to tell me to be carefull. I nod to him and I start to make my way towards the treeline.

But as I'm almost there, I hear someone yell behind me. It's Lukas, he dashed after me and he holds something in his left hand. He stops and takes my hand now and places a neatly crafted knife in the palm of my hand.

"Beskytte…"

Beskytte means "protect" and I smile broadly. I hug him tight and it catches him off guard a little, but after a couple of seconds he gladly hugs me back. I let go of him and he returns to the village, he looks back at me for a second with a gentle smile, and he then dissapears over the hills.

I make my way deeper into the forest, making sure no one can see me here. It's then that I take the clock from under my clothing again, and it still holds track of the time: it's the 22nd of October, 900. A little over 11 am. I make sure I set the date correctly, but as I work on it I find another slot on the back of the watch. I turn it over and it shows me a little display with my location. I don't think it knows exactly where I am, it just displays "Norway" on it. But as I turn the handle a little, a whole variety of locations appear. Well, this will be much easier then! I try to decide where to go now, and I think I've made my desicion as soon as "Copenhagen" passes the display. They must have celebrated the Kalmar Union in Copenhagen, there's no way they didn't. After all, it was Mathias who got crowned king. I leave the location display on Copenhagen and I check the date on the front of the clock: the 17th of June, 1397. Okay, here we go. One final check that I have everything with me: the piece of paper with my own time on it, the pen, my original clothing, the packet of food and the knife Lukas gave me. And of course, my clock. I take a deep breath in, and I press the button on top.

The floor I fall onto is hard, and it scratches my left arm a little. Well, I personally found the meadow I landed on the first time a lot more comfortable. I slowly lift myself up and I check my arm. It's not that bad, it's barely bleeding even and I sigh deep. I try to clean it a little with my spit and I again check whether everything I had with me travelled along. And it's all here. The clock in my hand confirms my second leap to be a success; it displays the 17th of June 1397 perfectly along with the time of 5 minutes past 11. I look up at my surroundings and I see that I have indeed ended up in a city. This must be Copenhagen, but I don't recognise anything at all. I've been to the modern Copenhagen often enough, but nothing I see here resembles anything I remember. I shrug it off though, I'm sure this is where I'm supposed to be. I start to move along the small streets and the old houses, and it's clear that the city is busy with something. I make it to a town square and my assumpions about the Kalmar Union are confirmed: they celebrated it here in Copenhagen. Everyone is happy, there's music and people dance along on the pavement while other people clap and laugh. There's flowers everywhere as decoration and there's a feast of all kinds of food present as well.

I also notice that the people on the square are dressed to perfection, their dresses and other clothing are clean and flow in the wind as they dance. And I look down at myself: I'm absolutely underdressed for the occasion. But luck strikes me again, there's a basket with clothing standing not far from me and I soon find something decent that fits me. I leave the Viking clothing behind for someone to find and I also find a better bag to put my own clothing and the other supplies in. Alright, let's go look for my family! I make my way to the square again, and I try to search for anyone I recognise. But there's no one here. Shoot, I might not be so lucky this time. I leave this square and I move along the streets of a very old looking Copenhagen, and I slowly start to recognise the rough lay-out of the city a little. I make it to a small body of water with a few ships docked and some children playing along the waterline. I have to find the main square of the city, I figure I have the best chance of finding them over there.

The city is rather small, and I soon make it to a square much bigger and much more crowded that the one I started at. There's a big party going on, the music is more vibrant due to an abundance of instruments and the people here look richer than the ones I saw back there. The party is well on it's way, people are smiling and dancing with eachother in either beautiful waltz or weird motions. It doesn't really matter to me, it seems everyone is having fun over here. But I have a hard time getting to the front of the crowd, which is essential if I ever want to find-

"BOO!"

"AAH!"

A small boy has grabbed my legs now and I look down to find the child who scared me. I really don't want to get spooked right now, I just want to find-

"Emil…"

It's low enough for him not to hear it, and my heart jumps a little once I recognise Emil once again. He's a little older now, maybe around 7 years old yet his eyes still as bright as back there. He's wearing a red/brownish dress and it looks rather expensive. It's suits him though. He's laughing because of my fright and he now pulls me to the front of the crowd easily.

"Hey! Carefu-"

NO ENGLISH OH GOD! Peter you have to remember you're the odd one out! Nobody seems to have heard me, not even Emil and I sigh for a moment as my heart beats down my throat. Emil is still giggling and laughing as he pulls me along to a person in a beautiful navy blue dress, and as soon as we reach them we come to a sudden halt.

"Jeg fant en venn! Se se se!"

The person in the dress turns around and it take me a couple of seconds to recognise the person: it's Lukas again. He looks definitely older, where he was maybe just 15 years back there, he's now grown to at least 17. He's much taller than before, his freckles have faded a little but his smile is still as gentle as ever. I swallow for a second, fearing he might recognise me from before but that doesn't really seem the case. Then again, it's been maybe 2 hours for me, as for him it's been almost 500 years. I don't think I'd recognise someone if that much time went by. Lukas asks my name this time, and I can't help but automatically answer him with Peter. He thinks for a second and he then asks the following:

"English?"

"Uuuuhh…. yeah, I speak English…"

"Aah! I see, you have accent!"

He speaks English! It's not much yet, but I understand him and it doesn't seem all that bad. He asks me whether I travelled far and I say yes, technically not lying about it. I mean, I just took a leap of 500 years into the future. Emil still holds my hand and he asks something in Norwegian. Lukas replies, but also looks at me:

"Emil wants you to meet family. Is okay?"

"Ah, yeah of course why not?"

Lukas translates my answer to Norwegian and Emil jumps in excitement. And so I walk along with Emil still half pulling me and we leave the busy square with dancing people behind us a little. We walk up the stairs of a tall building now and as soon as we reach the top, I find the other people I was looking for.

Mathias looks older too now, he's definitely over 18 years old. He wears a long red cloak and the clothing beneath it seems very expensive. On his head a crown worth over a milion pounds I bet, yet his smile contagious as ever. I find Papa Berwald next to him, he's aged a bit yet it's only really visible in the way he's grown about 5 feet taller than before. His cloak a dark blue, his clothing looking good but not as good as Mathias's. And my heart makes a leap in joy once I find the third person sitting closely next to Papa: Mom, Tino. He's young, even younger than Lukas and maybe around 16 or something. He seems a little nervous about Mathias, and he stays close to Berwald as well. I'm not really sure whether he's comfortable next to him either. But as soon as he sees me, he jumps up and walks up to me with a smile.

"He's English…"

"Oh really? What is your name?"

The moment my own mother asks for my name is probably the weirdest thing I've ever experienced, but I answer accordingly anyway. He tells me his name is Finland, but I can call him Tino. And now I have to condition myself yet again: Papa is Berwald, and Mom is Tino. Keep that in mind to avoid any awkward situations.

"English huh? You must have come a long way then."

Mathias has walked up to me and his English is clearly better than everyone else's. I say yes and I'm relieved he doesn't ask any further. He suggests we all enjoy the feast downstairs and Emil starts to jump in excitement once more. Mathias laughs and swiftly lifts Emil on his shoulders, the same way he did when we were looking at the thunder just a day earlier. Or well, a day earlier for me. I see both Berwald and Lukas follow Mathias downstairs and Tino lays a hand on my shoulder, nudging me to join them. I take his hand instead and no matter what the situation is, it still feels really safe to walk hand in hand with him like this. Now, let's see what this party has in store!


	6. Chapter 6 - Celebration

Emil is a clumsy dancer, but I don't think I've ever seen him this happy before. He's twirling and jumping around trying not to fall over and overall, he seems to be really enjoying himself. I dance around him as well and I try to keep up with him but he's fast and bouncy and whenever I think I see him, he's already behind me again. We dance among the people for quite some time until Emil sighs deep and pulls me to the side. He starts to talk to me in Norwegian, but he soon realises that I cannot follow along. So instead, he points at his feet:

"Au au!"

Ah, his feet must hurt. I spread my arms and I make a motion I could lift him and he happily accepts my offer. I take a firm grip under his armpits and I lift him off the floor. He wraps his arms around my neck and his smile is contagious. He's a little heavier than expected, but we make it to the other side of the square back to the others. Emil jumps from my arms and he runs off to Lukas. It's then that I see that Lukas has placed himself onto Mathias's lap and that their hands are entangled. Lovingly, affectionately. Did… Did they fall in love all the way back here? Are they already in love for that long? That's…. That's couple goals to be honest! Emil jumps up onto Mathias's lap and he apparently explains that his feet hurt of dancing. Mathias and Lukas laugh it off, and they give him a simultanious kiss on both cheeks. And I smile. It's the first time I've seen them this close and lovingly together. Nowadays, I barely see Emil other than him being slightly grumpy and easily annoyed. Mathias still smiles a lot but never seems to get that kind of attention anymore from Emil. Lukas is of course around too, but he's so much more distant. And my stomach sinks a little… A lot has happened between that trio.

I suddenly remember my backpack and I offer Emil a piece of my snack food I received and he happily takes it. I offer Lukas and Mathias a piece as well and they thank me dearly. They both take a bite and I see that they share eye contact for a moment. I swallow for a second, it's then that Mathias begins to speak:

"This is really good, where did you get this?"

"Oh, I got it from some friends…" Not a lie, again. But boy, this is somewhat awkward.

"You can tell them they know how to cook, this is amazing! Oi Sve! Fin! You gotta try this!"

Both Berwald and Tino come over, and we share the Viking food as lunch between the six of us. They all offer their compliments for it, and the deer meat runs out as quickly as Lukas caught it 500 years back. It's then that the questions start. They ask me where I'm from, I say from England. They wonder how I ended up here, and I tell them that I was getting quite fed up with the country, which isn't really a lie I'll admit. The very reason I decided to stay with the Nordics was because they were much nicer than Arthur has ever been to me. They laugh as I tell them I got fed up with England and Mathias exclaims loudly that they have been forever. I can't help but laugh at this, because even all the way forward the Nordics often complain about the UK and their shenadigans. It's after that good laugh that they confess things about themselves, but in a matter that they don't necessarily reveal that they're nations.

"We're lifelong friends, and we're all from different countries too. We've been together for a long long time now…" They all share a look now and I see several smiles appear. Lukas's smile still being the most genuine and the more I see it, the more I wonder how it faded to the point of it being almost absent nowadays. What has broken you so badly?

Mathias offers to tour me through the city and I happily accept the offer and once we set off, I see Emil proudly take the lead. Mathias asks him something in Norwegian and Emil jumps up and down in enthusiasm. Lukas leans to my ear for a second:

"He asked Emil to lead…"

"Ah, I see. He's really cute…"

"I…. I found him when he was even smaller… He calls me Storebror… Big brother… I love him a lot…"

We get to see all the nice places around Copenhagen, often celebrating with the townsfolk in between and eating the snacks presented. Emil often skips next to me or a little ahead of me, he chants all kinds of Norwegian things for me and Lukas is having a hard time keeping up with the translations, which makes both of us giggle. He often looks for words by pointing at things when he can't come up with them and as soon as I give him the English word, he either recognises it or he's completely in the dark. He's learning quickly though. The sun is almost setting now and the orange sky reflects in the water of the harbor. I'm lost in the sight for a second when I feel a hand on my shoulder.

"Would you like to eat with us?"

"AH! Oh! Eeh.. Yeah, of course!"

Berwald's voice catches me off guard a little, and I notice it's dropped a couple of octaves since the last time I heard him speak. He nudges me to follow everyone upstairs into a building I can only describe as really really really big. Almost like a mansion of some kind. The halls decorated beyond perfection, the floors covered in expensive looking fabrics and the furniture looking this neat I barely dare to touch it. It's apparently clear to see I'm a little overwhelmed, because I now feel a small hand taking mine. I look up and I see Tino, who gently smiles as he pulls me along slowly. We enter a giant room with a set table and I see them making room for me there. I have no idea why they're being so kind to me, they only met me today and I didn't make such a lasting impression in my opinion. But I see Emil smile ear to ear, and I make a swift conclusion they're happy for Emil to have someone younger around. That, or it's something else.

I know he's been trying to hide it. But I have been noticing it more and more. Lukas has been looking at me with that strange expression of his. Like he's reading me like a book. Maybe he can sense that I'm different. Maybe he can sense that I'm just like them. Maybe that's why Emil continuously finds me again and again. Maybe, he feels my odd presence as well. They're related after all, even though they don't know that yet. The others must trust Lukas's jugdement over anything else. If it's okay with Lukas, it's okay for all? I sigh for a moment and I allow myself to look at Lukas and Emil. What I see between them, with the information I have that they're brothers, it's amazing to me that the others never stopped to think about it as well: they are the spitting image of eachother. They way they move, the way they talk in a certain accent, the way their eyes glimmer in the candlelight. A glimmer…. I barely find nowadays.

A sudden rush of grief overwhelms me for only a second. What happened between the two of you? I'm snapped out of it by Mathias announching dinner is ready and I instantly light up as I see the table: food! I'm so hungry, this day was incredible and I'm honestly really content with this time period. Everyone seems happy as we eat the food and they laugh with eachother. Even Papa is occasionally smiling. All is well it seems.

"Hey Peter? Do you have a place to stay for the night?" It's Mathias, and I only now realise that I in fact don't have a place to stay.

"No, not yet your majesty…"

"Ah good! I wanted to invite you here, since Emil seems to like you so much he asked for it ha!"

"That's really kind of you, thank you so much your highness."

"Please, cut the formalities! Call me Mathias, it's fine!"

And so, I'm guided upstairs to a bed this big that I'd probably drown in the bedsheets as soon as I fall asleep.

"Make yourself at home!"

I'm sitting on the bed medling with my clock for a second when the door slings open and Emil runs in. He's barely dressed, just a white dress covers his body and he jumps up the bed. It's then that Lukas swiftly follows in after him:

"Emil, du kan ikke bare- Oh! I'm sorry, he wanted to say goodnight…."

"That's fine, no worries I wasn't sleeping…"

I quickly hid the clock under my pillow and Emil pulls me in a hug. Lukas stands in the door opening and watches with a grin on his lips.

"Got natt Petir!"

"Got natt Emil!"

He jumps off the bed into Lukas's arms and he picks him up swiftly. He looks back at me and smiles again:

"Good night…"

"Good night Lukas… thanks for everything…"

He nods and walks off, closing the door on his way out. And I drop myself on the bed. All is well. They're all happy. I close my eyes and rub them firmly. Where did it go wrong? I know where: November the 7th, 1520… Some things must have happened beforehand, but that's the moment things really went haywire. The Stockholm Bloodbath. I move my hands under the pillow and I retrieve the time travel clock. I could stay here. I could stay here for much longer and just enjoy my time here and then go back to 2018. But my curiosity is so strong. Papa never talks about it, I'm not even allowed to mention it Mon always says. It's not spoken about. All I know is that it was bad. People were killed, beheaded. For no apparent reason. I shouldn't do it. I shouldn't want to see what happened. If people were really beheaded then thing must have looked nasty. Papa would have been in pain. Everything would be horrible.

…I have to go. I need to know what horrible actions and events turned these lovable and happy nations into the scarred adults they are today. It's not that they're bad nowadays, but it's visible in the minor details that a lot of things happened. And I want to figure out what it is. Why did Mathias kill those people? How did the Kingdom of Denmark almost dissolve? What happened to Lukas that broke him so badly, and what was his part in the mess that followed the broken Kalmar Union. How and why was Tino taken away from Berwald? And what happened to Emil in all of this? I have to know. They won't tell me so I have to figure it out for myself. I'll stay here a couple of more days to prepare myself and to properly say goodbye. And then, I'm going down the rabbit hole of dark history….


End file.
